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The torso on my VOTC Lando is turning a subtle blue-green. The limbs are still blue.

I can't figure it. I keep him inside my BMF, tending Bespin Luke. This is the only figure I have out of storage that has a part turning a different color. I've never kept Lando in storage for more than a few days, or a couple of weeks at most.

I honestly don't think it's environmental at this point. Yes, leaving them in the sun can have negative effects, but I wonder if that's not what we thought before, it's merely acting as an age-accelerator and these were always destined to do this. It could be as simple as mold-release oil, or as complex as the breakdown of dying agents in the plastics. I think Hasbro had been asked about this in Q&A before, but I can't find the question, nobody has asked about "yellowing" that I can find.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

I honestly don't think it's environmental at this point. Yes, leaving them in the sun can have negative effects, but I wonder if that's not what we thought before, it's merely acting as an age-accelerator and these were always destined to do this. It could be as simple as mold-release oil, or as complex as the breakdown of dying agents in the plastics. I think Hasbro had been asked about this in Q&A before, but I can't find the question, nobody has asked about "yellowing" that I can find.

Chemically it has to be an environmental causing the color changes. Something is shifting the electrons around in the dyes, and that just doesn't happen on it's own. The mold release oil should be washed/air blown off in factory. It's possible that one figure occassionally will have some residue, but not be coated in it.

I've asked about plastics and upcoming research on them (FYI Hasbro cut that entire division at the end of 2009), but not about yellowing in the past (it's at FFURG).

I just opened 4 or 5 TAC Stormtroopers, and 3 of them had varying degrees of yellowing on their torso pieces. The upper torso seems to yellow less than the main core. These packaged figs were all in the same bag out of the light, so they should have reacted the same as each other. I also found my already-opened a TLC Luke Stormtrooper and his torso was yellowed, and yet I found my already-opened TLC Han Trooper and he had no yellowing at all.

I guess I better change the title of this thread.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

Chemically it has to be an environmental causing the color changes. Something is shifting the electrons around in the dyes, and that just doesn't happen on it's own.

I think you're only about half right. Yellowing a surface phenomena, which means it has to be environmental. Otherwise the yellow would be even though out the whole piece of plastic. I don't believe it's the dyes. Modern dyes are pretty stable.

So, what I think is happening the same reason vintage figures yellow, flame retardants. In particular flame retardants that have bromine. Bromine is highly reactive to UV light and ready bonds with oxygen. When this happens you get a yellow to brownish color on the exposed surface. If the base color is very dark, like say black, you likely wouldn't notice anything. But in the case of a light color it will stand out sooner.

Now if someone wants to be brave and try some peroxide whiting of their yellowed figure, I'd be glad to pass on the right way of doing this.

"I'm sick and tried of these motherfrakkking Sith on this motherfrakkker plane!"
Mace Windu - Episode 2.5: Sith on a Plane

I have heard that using peroxide on figures takes away the surface yellowing but then encourages the yellowing to come back much faster afterwards, like a few weeks and it's back.

I misspoke, the torso on Luke wasn't yellowed after all, so it's just the TAC Stormtroopers. I also opened some TAC-era Saga Legends Sandtroopers, none of them had yellowing - ironic in my book, since they'd look better with it.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

I have heard that using peroxide on figures takes away the surface yellowing but then encourages the yellowing to come back much faster afterwards, like a few weeks and it's back.

That's odd. When I've tried this it works like a dream. I'm currently running a long term experiment on this technique. I'm using Lego bricks (of which I have tons of) rather than one my SW figure (which I have fewer of). The brick that's getting full Sun really hasn't changed that much. I'll check them against the control bricks in a few weeks. I do know different plastics and different flame retardants can have mixed results vs ABS. Also the fact the limbs and torsos are made from different plastics is also an effect.

"I'm sick and tried of these motherfrakkking Sith on this motherfrakkker plane!"
Mace Windu - Episode 2.5: Sith on a Plane

I looked it up because I couldn't remember for sure. It turns out it was Transformers pieces that were darker and discolored being over-bleached by the peroxide, it was the base color fading, not yellowing, that I was remembering. So, hydrogen peroxide 35% plus sunlight plus EXTREME CARE AS THIS STUFF IS DANGEROUS can equal de-yellowing, but on colored parts you have to be careful not to overdo it.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.